Automatic vending apparatus



(No Model.)

0. L. GOFPIN.

AUTOMATIC VENDING APPARATUS.

No. 439,477. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

UN ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

CHARLES L. COFFIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,477, dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed March 22, 1890. Serial No. 344,971. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may cancer/t:

Be it known that I, OHAELEs L. 00min, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in an improvement in automatic vending apparatus, hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure 1 is.an elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the second magnet.

My invention relates to apparatus for preventing dishonest purchasers from cheating the machine by the use of a disk of base metal of substantially the same size and Weight as the coin for which the machine is designed.

Q represents the coin-chute which opens through a slot in the box, and is of the right size to receive the coin for which the box is intended.

The apparatus as illustrated and described is intended to be operated by a five-cent nickel.

L, K, and T represent three plates joined together at an angle, and all pivoted at the point l in the lower side of the coin-chute. lVhen in the position shown in Fig. 1, the plate L stands out from the box, the plate V closes the chute, and the plate T lies under the chute.

M represents a contact-plate secured to, but insulated from, the box, one end of which is faced with insulating material I, and the contact-plate M is connected with one pole of a battery.

K represents a swinging plate lying above the chute Q, one end of which is pivoted to the wall of the box while the other end is so placed as to be raised. by the plate V when that plate rises and to descend when plate V descends.

D represents an ordinary dash-pot, whose piston-rod C is firmly secured to the wall of the box, the cylinder of the dash-pot moving on its stationary piston, and this is filled with water or any other suitable substance.

S represents a contact plate secured to dash-pot D.

B represents a contact-plate, the lower end of which is faced withinsulating material I, secured to but insulated from the wall of the box, and connected by a conductor R with the other pole of the battery. Vhen the dashpotI) rises, the contact-pieces makes electrical contact with the contact-piece M, and thus completes the circuit through the magnets, as will be hereinafter described.

0 0 represent two magnets, whose cores are in close proximity to the chute Q, preferably extending just through the wall of said chute, as shown in the case of the magnet P in Fig. 2.

P represents an electro-magnet stronger than the magnets O O, which is pivoted on a bracket 1), secured to the box, and has a rearward extension 0, on which is a counterweight (Z, so that said magnet may be balanced in such manner that the weight of a nickel will throw it out of balance. The contact-piece B is connected with the bobbin of one of the electro-magnets O by the conductor a, and the two magnets O are connected with each other and with the bobbin of magnet P by the conductor Z, and the magnet P is connected with the plate T by the conductor W.

71. represents a trip-rod intended to be connected with the unlocking mechanism of the apparatus, it being intended that the downward movement of magnet P shall unlock the apparatus, but it being immaterial whatmechanical device is used for this purpose.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The apparatus being closed, the purchaser wishing to operate the same first draws the plate downward into the position shown in Fig. 1, in order to uncover the slot in the face of the box. This moves the contact plate T onto the insulation I of the contact-piece M, and the plate V raises the free end of plate K and with it the cylinder of the dash-pot D, until the contact-piece S makes electrical contact with the contact-piece B. The purchaser now inserts a nickel A in the slot and raises plate L through the arc of a circle shown in dotted lines, which throws the plate V down out of the way of the nickel and permits the nickel to pass through the chute. This operation moves the plate T into electrical contact with the contacbpiece M, thus clos- IOC ing the circuit through the conductor R, contact-pieces S and D, conductor a, electromagnet O, vconductor Z, electro magnet P, conductor WV, and contact-pieces M. This energizes the magnets O O P, and the circuit will continue closed and the magnets energized until the dash-pot D descends far enough to break the contact between the contactpieces S and B. This may be regulated at will by the size of the opening through or around the piston of the dash-pot. The nickel now descends through the chute, and passes the' magnets O 0, but when it comes within the field-of-force of the more powerful magnet P it is arrested and held against the core of said magnet, by which said magnet is overbalanced, swings on its pivot, and unlocks the operating mechanism of the apparatus, thus enabling the customer to obtain his purchase in any of the modes used for such apparatus. As soouas the dash-pot B descends far enough to break the circuit, the magnets become inert, the magnet P releases the nickel, and the nickel falls into a receptacle below.

If the purchaser inserts a disk of other metal than nickel, the operation will differ from: the foregoing as follows: If the disk be iron, it will be arrested by one of the mag-- nets 0 and will remain attached to the core of saidmagnet until the circuit is broken,

when it Will pass through the chute Q with out afiecting the magnet P. If a disk oflead, I

brass," or other diamagnetic metal be introduced instead of a nickel it will pass through the chute :Q' without being in any way affected by any of the magnets.

I havetshown two magnets O, and vprefer 1 to use two as a matter of security; but: of

course only one magnet 0 need be used, as this magnet is intended to operate only upon disks of iron which is easily and strongly attracted.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the coin-chute of a vending apparatus, two electro-magnets of different degrees of strength, a battery in circuit with said electro-magnets, a movable plate covering the mouth of the chute and having a circuit-breaker attached thereto, and a dash-pot carrying a circuit-breaker and adapted to be operated by the slot-closing device, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the coin-chute of an automatic vending apparatus, two electromagnets of different degrees of power, the more powerful one being the farther from the mouth of the chute and being balanced and connected with the locking mechanism of the apparatus, a battery connected with said electro-magnets, and means, substantially such as described, for closing the circuit when a coin is introduced into the chute, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

3. In combination with the coin-chute of an automatic vending apparatus, two electro- CYRUS E. LOTHROP, GERTRUDE II. ANDERSON. 

